Darkseed

Developer: Cyberdreams
Publisher: Cyberdreams

Launched in the same year as the first Alone in the Dark, Darkseed was considered at the time one of the scariest games ever made and though the game seems to have faded into relative obscurity, it still ranked 7 on Gametrailers' 'Top 10 scariest games ever'.

So, do I think the game is scary? I'd have to say 'meh', it's got some nice ideas and concepts and the visual designs by H.R. Giger (the man who designed the aliens in Riddley Scott's movies) are pretty unsettling, but truth be told, I never found the man's art particularly scary, unsettling yes, but not scary, anyway I'm getting off-track here.

You begin the game as Mike Dawson, a successful writer with an awesome 80's pornstache, having recently moved in to a mansion, he's plagued by nightmares, visions and constant migraines, while exploring his new home he discovers clues about a parallel dimension left there by the previous owners, believing this to be the source of his issues he sets out to find as much information as he can, questioning locals, going to the library, exploring the mansion, etc.

The plot may not win any Oscars but I like how the first half of the game works almost like a murder mystery, it's pretty neat going to town and meeting the locals, checking the libraries' records and at one point digging up a body in the cemetery, to spice things up you have three in-game days to get to the bottom of all this, otherwise a monster will burst out from inside our main character (Whoa! Just had an 'Alien' flashback).

This timer feature was pretty unique for the time but I felt it's very poorly utilized, you'll have to meet and talk to characters at a specific time and if you get there too late you might have just created an unwinnable situation without even knowing it (don't you just love those?) and trust me, this sort of thing happens very often.

During the second act of the game you'll get to explore the H.R. Giger themed parallel universe, but honestly, I thought it was pretty boring, there's hardly anything to do there other then solve puzzles and trying not to get killed, to be fair this world might have been scarier if I couldn't save my progress at any time I wanted or if the character animations weren't so jerky.

Graphically, the game was touted for its High-resolution graphics (a whopping 400p) but they haven't aged well and neither have the sound or the laughably bad voice acting, it's not that they were bad for their time mind you, it's just that none of these have aged well, despite the game's issues there is some fun to be had, but unless you grew up with Darkseed I don't think most people will enjoy it.

Trivia: Did you know artist H.R. Giger demanded the game ran at an uncommonly high resolution? I'm guessing he wanted the player to appreciate the intricacies of his creature designs

Pros:
- Clue gathering in the real world is fun and engaging
- H.R. Giger's art style certainly makes the game stand out

Cons:
- Too many unwinnable situations
- Parallel world is kinda boring
- It's a bit hard to be scared when I can just quick-save at any time
- Graphics, sounds and voice acting haven't aged well 
- I kind of feel the game's only claim to fame is H.R. Giger's work
- How many times have I said 'H.R. Giger' in this review? Somebody should make a drinking game out of that.

Final Grade: D+

The game's cover is just awesome, put it on a shelf with the cover facing outwards and I guarantee you that people will notice it, with that said, the 'face' in said cover is removable, I'm not really sure what's the point of that, specially seeing as how it has this tendency to sink if the box is empty.

My version claims to be a 'special' edition which includes a hint book, but honestly, I don't think there is such a thing as a 'normal' edition, I certainly never saw one. The hint book is actually pretty useful, it doesn't straight out tell you everything, but it does make things a LOT easier, definitely a mandatory read if you're stuck. As for the manual, it's actually pretty good, you have a short biography of Giger's work (for those playing the drinking game: bottom's up) and some backstory as told by the perspective of our main character.

Overall I quite like this packaging, it's a shame the box' 'face' isn't glued on or anything but that's a pretty minor complaint.

Packaging Score: A-

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Darkseed (Halloween Special)

Developer: Cyberdreams
Publisher: Cyberdreams

Launched in the same year as the first Alone in the Dark, Darkseed was considered at the time one of the scariest games ever made and though the game seems to have faded into relative obscurity, it still ranked 7 on Gametrailers' 'Top 10 scariest games ever'.

So, do I think the game is scary? I'd have to say 'meh', it's got some nice ideas and concepts and the visual designs by H.R. Giger (the man who designed the aliens in Riddley Scott's movies) are pretty unsettling, but truth be told, I never found the man's art particularly scary, unsettling yes, but not scary, anyway I'm getting off-track here.

You begin the game as Mike Dawson, a successful writer with an awesome 80's pornstache, having recently moved in to a mansion, he's plagued by nightmares, visions and constant migraines, while exploring his new home he discovers clues about a parallel dimension left there by the previous owners, believing this to be the source of his issues he sets out to find as much information as he can, questioning locals, going to the library, exploring the mansion, etc.

The plot may not win any Oscars but I like how the first half of the game works almost like a murder mystery, it's pretty neat going to town and meeting the locals, checking the libraries' records and at one point digging up a body in the cemetery, to spice things up you have three in-game days to get to the bottom of all this, otherwise a monster will burst out from inside our main character (Whoa! Just had an 'Alien' flashback).

This timer feature was pretty unique for the time but I felt it's very poorly utilized, you'll have to meet and talk to characters at a specific time and if you get there too late you might have just created an unwinnable situation without even knowing it (don't you just love those?) and trust me, this sort of thing happens very often.

During the second act of the game you'll get to explore the H.R. Giger themed parallel universe, but honestly, I thought it was pretty boring, there's hardly anything to do there other then solve puzzles and trying not to get killed, to be fair this world might have been scarier if I couldn't save my progress at any time I wanted or if the character animations weren't so jerky.

Graphically, the game was touted for its High-resolution graphics (a whopping 400p) but they haven't aged well and neither have the sound or the laughably bad voice acting, it's not that they were bad for their time mind you, it's just that none of these have aged well, despite the game's issues there is some fun to be had, but unless you grew up with Darkseed I don't think most people will enjoy it.

Trivia: Did you know artist H.R. Giger demanded the game ran at an uncommonly high resolution? I'm guessing he wanted the player to appreciate the intricacies of his creature designs

Pros:
- Clue gathering in the real world is fun and engaging
- H.R. Giger's art style certainly makes the game stand out

Cons:
- Too many unwinnable situations
- Parallel world is kinda boring
- It's a bit hard to be scared when I can just quick-save at any time
- Graphics, sounds and voice acting haven't aged well 
- I kind of feel the game's only claim to fame is H.R. Giger's work
- How many times have I said 'H.R. Giger' in this review? Somebody should make a drinking game out of that.

Final Grade: D+

The game's cover is just awesome, put it on a shelf with the cover facing outwards and I guarantee you that people will notice it, with that said, the 'face' in said cover is removable, I'm not really sure what's the point of that, specially seeing as how it has this tendency to sink if the box is empty.

My version claims to be a 'special' edition which includes a hint book, but honestly, I don't think there is such a thing as a 'normal' edition, I certainly never saw one. The hint book is actually pretty useful, it doesn't straight out tell you everything, but it does make things a LOT easier, definitely a mandatory read if you're stuck. As for the manual, it's actually pretty good, you have a short biography of Giger's work (for those playing the drinking game: bottom's up) and some backstory as told by the perspective of our main character.

Overall I quite like this packaging, it's a shame the box' 'face' isn't glued on or anything but that's a pretty minor complaint.

Packaging Score: A-

Scariness Rating:

For a game that was touted as one of the scariest titles ever, I was pretty disappointed, admittedly there are some very creepy scenes like the baby doll package, but I these aren't all that common, not to mention some of them might have been scary once, but by today's standards they're kind of cheesy. Two and a half screaming Monroes.

Halloween Feel:

I guess it boils down to one question: Is 'Alien' a Halloween movie for you? For me, it kind of is and it kind of isn't due to its strong sci-fi feel. Two and a half Jack O' Lanterns.

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Fatal Frame/Project Zero

Developer: Tecmo

Publisher:  Tecmo/Wanadoo/Microsoft Game Studios

As someone who's never been comfortable with scary movies and games that deal with ghosts and spirits this title was an addiction to me back in my teens in 2002, a very scary addiction that had me facing my fears, even after finishing it I still dreaded the day I went back and replayed it.

Well, ten years later I finally replayed it and... it's actually not nearly as scary as I remember, the game takes you to the abandoned Himuro mansion where supposedly a series of gruesome deaths occurred back in the 1930's and where you brother disappeared a few years ago, so off you go to look for him and try to uncover what really happened there, though game wastes no time in telling (or rather showing you) that the mansion is haunted.

While exploring the mansion you'll quickly realize that the developers were masters at making the player feel unease, there is no music in the game save for a few cutscenes, instead you're constantly hearing your footsteps and white noise, the footsteps I can handle fine, but the white noise is handled in a way that is freaking unsettling, it's like a mix of wind, voices in the background and no sound at all, adding to all this is the fact that your only source of light for the most part is your trusty flashlight, with can be controlled with your right stick, though everytime you move it, the shadows move as well, it certainly adds to the tension of the game. (and while shadows like this are common in Xbox games, they're certainly impressive for a PS2 game)

Right near the start of the game you'll come across a magical antique camera with the power to exorcise ghosts (yeah I know, it's silly, just go with it) this will be your only weapon throughout the game and I found this to be a double-edged sword, the combat is fun and nerve wrecking, when you use it you switch to a first person camera, meaning your field of view is limited and you can't walk, run or strafe while using it and to top it all off it reloads slowly, however, you can upgrade the camera and you'll quickly learn the best methods to exorcise the ghosts, by the time I reached the halfway point of the game, I had so many upgrades on that thing I could practically tutor the ghostbusters, though to be fair, some of the ghost designs are really creepy, aided by the fact that the character models look great for the hardware.

Speaking of  'halfway points' this game is short... like really short, depending how you play it'll probably last you between 6-8 hours, of course you could get lost or confused by one or two puzzles in the game, though personally I found them all to be pretty accessible, I never felt the need to look up walkthroughs for them. The developers try to add replay value by adding a battle mode and a higher difficulty setting once you finish the game, but I completed all challenges in the first in under an hour and I finished the latter in just 7 hours, so they don't add that much to it.

Overall the game is still pretty good, it's not nearly as scary as I remember but it's still genuinely creepy, it's nice knowing that I finally conquered a fear, but said fear is part of the reason why I used to love the game, maybe if the game didn't make me feel like a ghostbuster I wouldn't still be scared, who knows?

Trivia: Despite the game's tagline of being 'based around a true story', this has actually been put into question, the series' own producer has gone on record to say that it's actually based on two urban legends, moreover, the game was never really advertised as being based on a true story in Japan.

Pros:
- Creepy atmosphere, enemies and "soundtrack"
- Shadowplay and character models look pretty good for
- Puzzles are challenging but not frustrating
- Combat is fun and easy...

Cons:
- ...Perhaps too easy, it kills a lot of the scares
- You could practically finish the game in one day

Final Grade: B

I like how the game gives you three different covers for the box, manual and the disc, personally my favorite is the one on the manual as I feel it fits the game's mood better, but I can't deny that the boxart is a bit flashier and as a result it might've attracted more sales.

The manual is decently sized with 34 pages, but very few are used to give you background information, the first page tells you about the mansion and near the end you have 4 pages giving you character descriptions (shouldn't these have been placed on the beginning?) the rest of the manual is comprised of some very lengthy tutorials, they're all in the game as well, but sometimes it's nice to have them on hand, especially during combat.

Overall, not the greatest packaging, but not too shabby either, I like the artwork and I like that the manual focuses on the game, not legal info, but it shipped have come with a few extras.

Packaging Score: B-

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Fatal Frame/Project Zero (Halloween Special)

Developer: Tecmo

Publisher:  Tecmo/Wanadoo/Microsoft Game Studios

As someone who's never been comfortable with scary movies and games that deal with ghosts and spirits this title was an addiction to me back in my teens in 2002, a very scary addiction that had me facing my fears, even after finishing it I still dreaded the day I went back and replayed it.

Well, ten years later I finally replayed it and... it's actually not nearly as scary as I remember, the game takes you to the abandoned Himuro mansion where supposedly a series of gruesome deaths occurred back in the 1930's and where you brother disappeared a few years ago, so off you go to look for him and try to uncover what really happened there, though game wastes no time in telling (or rather showing you) that the mansion is haunted.

While exploring the mansion you'll quickly realize that the developers were masters at making the player feel unease, there is no music in the game save for a few cutscenes, instead you're constantly hearing your footsteps and white noise, the footsteps I can handle fine, but the white noise is handled in a way that is freaking unsettling, it's like a mix of wind, voices in the background and no sound at all, adding to all this is the fact that your only source of light for the most part is your trusty flashlight, with can be controlled with your right stick, though everytime you move it, the shadows move as well, it certainly adds to the tension of the game. (and while shadows like this are common in Xbox games, they're certainly impressive for a PS2 game)

Right near the start of the game you'll come across a magical antique camera with the power to exorcise ghosts (yeah I know, it's silly, just go with it) this will be your only weapon throughout the game and I found this to be a double-edged sword, the combat is fun and nerve wrecking, when you use it you switch to a first person camera, meaning your field of view is limited and you can't walk, run or strafe while using it and to top it all off it reloads slowly, however, you can upgrade the camera and you'll quickly learn the best methods to exorcise the ghosts, by the time I reached the halfway point of the game, I had so many upgrades on that thing I could practically tutor the ghostbusters, though to be fair, some of the ghost designs are really creepy, aided by the fact that the character models look great for the hardware.

Speaking of  'halfway points' this game is short... like really short, depending how you play it'll probably last you between 6-8 hours, of course you could get lost or confused by one or two puzzles in the game, though personally I found them all to be pretty accessible, I never felt the need to look up walkthroughs for them. The developers try to add replay value by adding a battle mode and a higher difficulty setting once you finish the game, but I completed all challenges in the first in under an hour and I finished the latter in just 7 hours, so they don't add that much to it.

Overall the game is still pretty good, it's not nearly as scary as I remember but it's still genuinely creepy, it's nice knowing that I finally conquered a fear, but said fear is part of the reason why I used to love the game, maybe if the game didn't make me feel like a ghostbuster I wouldn't still be scared, who knows?

Trivia: Despite the game's tagline of being 'based around a true story', this has actually been put into question, the series' own producer has gone on record to say that it's actually based on two urban legends, moreover, the game was never really advertised as being based on a true story in Japan.

Pros:
- Creepy atmosphere, enemies and "soundtrack"
- Shadowplay and character models look pretty good for
- Puzzles are challenging but not frustrating
- Combat is fun and easy...

Cons:
- ...Perhaps too easy, it kills a lot of the scares
- You could practically finish the game in one day

Final Grade: B

I like how the game gives you three different covers for the box, manual and the disc, personally my favorite is the one on the manual as I feel it fits the game's mood better, but I can't deny that the boxart is a bit flashier and as a result it might've attracted more sales.

The manual is decently sized with 34 pages, but very few are used to give you background information, the first page tells you about the mansion and near the end you have 4 pages giving you character descriptions (shouldn't these have been placed on the beginning?) the rest of the manual is comprised of some very lengthy tutorials, they're all in the game as well, but sometimes it's nice to have them on hand, especially during combat.

Overall, not the greatest packaging, but not too shabby either, I like the artwork and I like that the manual focuses on the game, not legal info, but it shipped have come with a few extras.

Packaging Score: B-

Scariness Rating:

The game may not be as scary as I remember, but that doesn't mean it's not scary, some of ghosts like  the girl with the broken neck are the stuff of nightmares! Three and a half screaming Monroes.

Halloween Feel:

This is a bit hard to gauge, while the game can be legitimately scary and ghosts are usually the amongst the traditional Halloween creatures these aren't really your common specters and neither is the Japanese mansion for that matter, however, if you're the type of person who watches movies like the Ringu (the original Japanese version) during Halloween, then this is probably the game for you, two and a half Jack O' Lanterns.

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Castlevania Bloodlines

Developer: Konami
Publisher:  Konami

As the first Castlevania game to grace a Sega console you'd think bloodlines would've attracted more attention, but instead the game seems to have fallen into relative obscurity and that's a damn shame because I've always felt this was one of the better entries of its time.

For starters, it was the first uncensored Castlevania to have been released in the west and the game wastes no time in telling you how 'mature' it is by having showing you a pool of blood in the Title screen.

As you start the game you can choose between two characters, the first being the whip-wielding John Morris (who?), he plays like a cross between Castlevania IV and the original Castlevania, on the ground he can only whip forward like in the NES games, but, when jumping, he can whip in seven directions (he can't whip straight up), at first I thought this design decision was kind of weird, but I assume it was done to promote the player to make a better use of the sub-weapons which have actually been upgraded in this game, now each sub-weapon performs two attacks though one of them will consume more hearts.

John can also swing from ceilings with his whip, similarly to Super Castlevania IV, though this time you're not restricted to only doing this when the developer wants you to.

You can also play as the spear-wielding Eric Lecarde (who?), he plays almost exactly like you would in Castlevania IV, meaning you can attack in all directions, though, instead of swinging from ceilings he has a vertical high-jump attack, so he's pretty overpowered when compared to Quincy, one thing I loved about Eric, is that when he dies, his spear falls right on top of him, OUCH! 

In fact, this game is pretty violent when compared to relatively tame Castlevania IV, you'll be decapitating Harpies, walking by tortured and bloody corpses and all this is definitely enhanced the music which is some of the best I've ever heard on the Genesis, though it goes for a different feel then previous games, instead of trying to aim for an Orchestral soundtrack, it plays to the system's strengths in its synthesizer.

Another oddity about this game is that for the first time in the series, you'll be playing outside Romania, yes, the first level starts you off in Dracula's Castle, but from there on you'll visit Greece, Italy, France and Germany and while the level design is excellent, I've always felt that some of these levels don't feel very Castlevania-y, this applies specially to the munitions factory stage.

Graphically the game looks pretty good for the hardware it's on, everything is well animated, there's a good use of colors and some of the bosses use pre-rendered graphics, but it never quite reaches the detail of its SNES counterparts.

Overall the game takes a few liberties with the formula but I feel it works to its advantage, I like that you have two characters to choose from (even if one of them is overpowered) and the improvements made to the sub-weapons, however, the game is relatively short and the graphics could've used more detail

Warning: The Pal version of this game, Castlevania: Generations is heavily censored, all of the blood and decapitations were removed. Even Lecarde's spear doesn't fall on him when he dies, instead it just flies away never to been again.

Pros:
- Two characters to choose from
- Improved Sub-weapons
- Great Soundtrack
- First non-censored game to have been released in the West (...kinda)

Cons:
- Too short
- Graphics could use more detail 
- Some of the levels don't feel very Castlevania-y 

Final Grade: B+

I like the artwork for this the character running while monster are looming over him, I don't quite get why John Morris looks like he's pushing 50, but that's a minor nitpick when compared how good everything looks, specially the countess who looks like she's ready to kill you while still showing a bit of cleavage.

Unfortunately, the game was published during a time when Sega was trying to save money by reducing the quality of the packaging in their games, gone are useful, shock resistance plastic boxes and the color manuals, in are these flimsy cardboard boxes and manuals printed in black and white on poor quality paper and that's a real shame too because the manual's contents are awesome.


In it you'll find some of the game's backstory, but the real appeal is seeing just how much fun the manual itself seems to be having, it doesn't give you instructions, it gives you the 'Rules of the bloody road', you don't start the game, instead you 'begin the hunt' and my personal favorite: You don't receive instructions on controlling you character, instead you must 'Control the horror'.

Whoever wrote this must've been having the time of his life! It's just a shame the materials used for this are so poor, I would've gladly given the packaging an A, instead it'll have to settle for a B.

Packaging Grade: B

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Castlevania Bloodlines (Halloween Special)

Developer: Konami
Publisher:  Konami

As the first Castlevania game to grace a Sega console you'd think bloodlines would've attracted more attention, but instead the game seems to have fallen into relative obscurity and that's a damn shame because I've always felt this was one of the better entries of its time.

For starters, it was the first uncensored Castlevania to have been released in the west and the game wastes no time in telling you how 'mature' it is by having showing you a pool of blood in the Title screen.

As you start the game you can choose between two characters, the first being the whip-wielding John Morris (who?), he plays like a cross between Castlevania IV and the original Castlevania, on the ground he can only whip forward like in the NES games, but, when jumping, he can whip in seven directions (he can't whip straight up), at first I thought this design decision was kind of weird, but I assume it was done to promote the player to make a better use of the sub-weapons which have actually been upgraded in this game, now each sub-weapon performs two attacks though one of them will consume more hearts.

John can also swing from ceilings with his whip, similarly to Super Castlevania IV, though this time you're not restricted to only doing this when the developer wants you to.

You can also play as the spear-wielding Eric Lecarde (who?), he plays almost exactly like you would in Castlevania IV, meaning you can attack in all directions, though, instead of swinging from ceilings he has a vertical high-jump attack, so he's pretty overpowered when compared to Quincy, one thing I loved about Eric, is that when he dies, his spear falls right on top of him, OUCH! 

In fact, this game is pretty violent when compared to relatively tame Castlevania IV, you'll be decapitating Harpies, walking by tortured and bloody corpses and all this is definitely enhanced the music which is some of the best I've ever heard on the Genesis, though it goes for a different feel then previous games, instead of trying to aim for an Orchestral soundtrack, it plays to the system's strengths in using its synthesizer.

Another oddity about this game is that for the first time in the series, you'll be playing outside Romania, yes, the first level starts you off in Dracula's Castle, but from there on you'll visit Greece, Italy, France and Germany and while the level design is excellent, I've always felt that some of these levels don't feel very Castlevania-y, this applies specially to the munitions factory stage.

Graphically the game looks pretty good for the hardware it's on, everything is well animated, there's a good use of colors and some of the bosses use pre-rendered graphics, but it never quite reaches the detail of its SNES counterparts.

Overall the game takes a few liberties with the formula but I feel it works to its advantage, I like that you have two characters to choose from (even if one of them is overpowered) and the improvements made to the sub-weapons, however, the game is relatively short and the graphics could've used more detail

Warning: The Pal version of this game, Castlevania: Generations is heavily censored, all of the blood and decapitations were removed. Even Lecarde's spear doesn't fall on him when he dies, instead it just flies away never to been again.

Pros:
- Two characters to choose from
- Improved Sub-weapons
- Great Soundtrack
- First non-censored game to have been released in the West (...kinda)

Cons:
- Too short
- Graphics could use more detail 
- Some of the levels don't feel very Castlevania-y

Final Grade: B+

I like the artwork for this the character running while monster are looming over him, I don't quite get why John Morris looks like he's pushing 50, but that's a minor nitpick when compared how good everything looks, specially the countess who looks like she's ready to kill you while still showing a bit of cleavage.

Unfortunately, the game was published during a time when Sega was trying to save money by reducing the quality of the packaging in their games, gone are useful, shock resistance plastic boxes and the color manuals, in are these flimsy cardboard boxes and manuals printed in black and white on poor quality paper and that's a real shame too because the manual's contents are awesome.


In it you'll find some of the game's backstory, but the real appeal is seeing just how much fun the manual itself seems to be having, it doesn't give you instructions, it gives you the 'Rules of the bloody road', you don't start the game, instead you 'begin the hunt' and my personal favorite: You don't receive instructions on controlling you character, instead you must 'Control the horror'.

Whoever wrote this must've been having the time of his life! It's just a shame the materials used for this are so poor, I would've gladly given the packaging an A, instead it'll have to settle for a B.

Packaging Grade: B

Scariness Rating:

Just like Splatterhouse, the game may be bloody and the creatures may look threatening, but they're the ones getting slaughtered, not me. One and a half screaming Monroes

Halloween Feel:

You'll be fighting skeletons, Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula in old decrepit castles but you'll also be visiting places like a Greek temple and a German weapon's factory while fighting machines, so it seems for every Halloween themed place and enemy you find, you'll also come across something that completely takes you out of that feel. Two and a half Jack´o Lanterns.

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Deathsmiles

Developer: Cave
Publisher:  Aksys Games/Rising Star

This has to be the best SHMUP I've played in years, originally I was a bit wary of the game as this was my first bullet hell SHMUP and my first game from Cave, I was expecting to get my ass kicked, but instead, I found a game that is actually very newbie friendly, with a nice scaled progression and three difficulty settings that will appeal both newcomers and pros, I also liked how the game doesn't punish or insult you for playing at a lower difficulty.

You have four playable characters, all of them with different attack patterns, familiars, speed and gameplay tactics, there are no powerups in this game but don't worry, these girls carry enough firepower to level a small nation.

You're also given an infinite amount of continues, so if you just want to see the endings you'll probably be done with the game in an afternoon, however the point of Deathsmiles, isn't to beat the last boss as much as it is to rack up the highest score (if you use a continue your score it reset).

The game's scoring system is pretty clever, every monster has a base value and you get extra points depending on how you kill some of them, but the real objective is to increase your score multiplier which isn't all that easy considering some of your moves will decrease it.

We're pretty lucky though, the western release of Deathsmiles came will all of the original Japanese DLC included on the disc, granting you a total of SIX gameplay variations and a fifth playable character for some of them.

Lastly, I would talk about the story, but really, the game forgets it even has one, there's no intro cut-scene or dialog, you just start the game by shooting everything sight, though somewhere near the end you get some small snippets of dialog, yet, somehow, you have two endings per character, that's certainly a weird passing, if you really want to know what the plot of it all is, you'll just have to read the manual.

Overall the game is fun, flashy and very artistically creative.

Pros:
- Difficulty level appeals to both beginners and veterans without punishing or rewarding either side
- All of the Japanese DLC is included on the disc
- Great Artsyle

Cons:
- The story feels like an afterthought
- Not everyone will feel comfortable with playing as underage school girls

Final Grade: A+

(This review is for the Pal edition)

I'm usually not fond of Anime, but I have to say, I'm a big fan of the box art, it's colorful and will stand out in any shelf.

The game's manual isn't too bad, it gives you four pages of background information and character descriptions, not great, but in this day and age I'll take what I can get, however, apart from the game itself you also get two extra discs, these are the soundtrack and a disc with some wallpapers, a Deathsmiles themed calendar, that sort of thing.

Warning: The original packaging comes with a soundtrack disc that has its songs in a format unrecognized by older stereos, however if you email Rising Star with proof or purchase they'll mail you a new CD free of charge.

Packaging Grade: B+

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Deathsmiles (Halloween Special)

Developer: Cave
Publisher:  Aksys Games/Rising Star

This has to be the best SHMUP I've played in years, originally I was a bit wary of the game as this was my first bullet hell SHMUP and my first game from Cave, I was expecting to get my ass kicked, but instead, I found a game that is actually very newbie friendly, with a nice scaled progression and three difficulty settings that will appeal to both newcomers and pros, I also liked how the game doesn't punish or insult you for playing at a lower difficulty.

You have four playable characters, all of them with different attack patterns, familiars, speed and gameplay tactic and there are no powerups in this game but don't worry, these girls carry enough firepower to level a small nation.

You're also given an infinite amount of continues, so if you just want to see the endings you'll probably be done with the game in an afternoon, however the point of Deathsmiles, isn't to beat the last boss as much as it is to rack up the highest score (if you use a continue your score it reset).

The game's scoring system is pretty clever, every monster has a base value and you get extra points depending on how you kill some of them, but the real objective is to increase your score multiplier which isn't all that easy considering some of your moves will decrease it.

We're pretty lucky though, the western release of Deathsmiles came will all of the original Japanese DLC included on the disc, granting you a total of SIX gameplay variations and a fifth playable character for some of them.

Lastly, I would talk about the story, but really, the game forgets it even has one, there's no intro cut-scene or dialog, you just start the game by shooting everything sight, though somewhere near the end you get some small snippets of dialog, yet, somehow, you have two endings per character, that's certainly a weird passing, if you really want to know what the plot of it all is, you'll just have to read the manual.

Pros:
- Difficulty level appeals to both beginners and veterans without punishing or rewarding either side
- All of the Japanese DLC is included on the disc
- Great Artsyle

Cons:
- The story feels like an afterthought
- Not everyone will feel comfortable with playing as underage school girls

Final Grade: A+

(This review is for the Pal edition)

I'm usually not fond of Anime, but I have to say, I'm a big fan of the box art, it's colorful and will stand out in any shelf.

The game's manual isn't too bad, it gives you four pages of background information and character descriptions, not great, but in this day and age I'll take what I can get, however, apart from the game itself you also get two extra discs, these are the soundtrack and a disc with some wallpapers, a Deathsmiles themed calendar, that sort of thing.

Warning: The original packaging comes with a soundtrack disc that has its songs in a format unrecognized by older stereos, however if you email Rising Star with proof or purchase they'll mail you a new CD free of charge.

Packaging Grade: B+

Scariness Rating:

This is actually a pretty kid friendly game, the monsters for the most part are pretty cartoony and wouldn't scare anyone... that is until you fight the Baron, that guy is pretty disturbing, for that reason alone, I'm adding a half-screaming Monroe on what is otherwise a scare-free game.

  

Halloween Feel: 

You'll be hard pressed to find a game that fits this theme more than Deathsmiles, hell, the first level is called Halloween Town, do I really need to say anything else? Five Jack´o Lanterns.

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Assassin's Creed - PC Game

Assassin's Creed

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Genre: Action, Aventure
• Release Date: April 9, 2008

About Assassin's Creed

The first game in the Assassin's Creed franchise is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character Altair, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history.

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Intel Pentium D Dual Core @ 2.6 GHz
• Memory: 1 Gb
• Hard Drive: 8 Gb free
• Video Memory: 256 Mb
• Video Card: nVidia GeForce 6800 / ATI Radeon X1600
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• DirectX: 9.0c
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• DVD Rom Drive

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2 GHz
• Memory: 2 Gb
• Hard Drive: 8 Gb free
• Video Memory: 512 Mb
• Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 2900
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• DirectX: 9.0c or 10
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Other Controllers: XBOX 360 Controller for Windows
• DVD Rom Drive

Download Assassin's Creed – Direct Links

Part 01 – 700 MB

Part 02 – 700 MB

Part 03 – 700 MB

Part 04 – 700 MB

Part 05 – 700 MB

Part 06 – 700 MB

Part 07 – 700 MB

Part 08 – 700 MB

Part 09 – 700 MB

Part 10 – 230 MB

CRACK

www.elj-games.blogspot.com

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Prototype - PC Game

Prototype

• Developer: Radical Entertainment
• Publisher: Activision
• Genre: Action
• Release Date: June 9, 2009 (US)

About Prototype

In Prototype, players take control of Alex Mercer – a dark, genetically mutated shape-shifter with no memory of his past, hell-bent on solving the mystery of his existence as he tears through a densely populated New York City moving with Parkour-style fluidity and consuming anything that gets in his way.

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.6 Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+
• Memory: 1 Gb
• Hard Drive: 8 Gb free
• Video Memory: 256 Mb
• Video Card: nVidia GeForce 7800 / ATI Radeon X1800
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• DirectX: 9.0c
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• DVD Rom Drive

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+
• Memory: 2 Gb
• Hard Drive: 8 Gb free
• Video Memory: 512 Mb
• Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 2900
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• DirectX: 9.0c
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• DVD Rom Drive

 

Download Prototype – Direct Links

Part 1 – 700 MB

Part 2 – 700 MB

Part 3 – 700 MB

Part 4 – 700 MB

Part 5 – 700 MB

Part 6 – 700 MB

Part 7 – 700 MB

Part 8 – 700 MB

Part 9 – 700 MB

Part 10 – 700 MB

Part 11 – 597 MB

CRACK

www.elj-games.blogspot.com

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Splatterhouse (Halloween Special)

Developer: BottleRocket/Namco Bandai
Publisher:  Namco Bandai

After spending a short time in development hell, this ill-conceived reboot of the Splatterhouse franchise was launched with little to no fanfare and there's a good reason for that: The gameplay is terrible.

You'll spend most of the game fighting the same enemies and using the same moves over and over and the hit detection is just awful... and yet this game became one my guilty pleasures, it's kind of like watching a low budget 80's horror movie, the story may be pointless, dialog bawdy and cheesy but there's blood and guts everywhere and you get to see some pretty gruesome stuff like having your arm ripped off and then picking it up, and beating your foes into submission with it, or how about the part where you ram your arm inside a giant four-legged beast's anus and pull out it's sphincter from the inside? 

This game is pure schlock and it knows it, making it an enjoyably bad game, hell, it even goes as far as motivating you to hunt down hidden nude photos of your girlfriend, Troma would be proud.

The characters and voice acting are all pretty standard stuff with one HUGE exception: The Mask, voiced by Jim Cummings of Winnie the Pooh and The Lion King fame and I can't tell you how awesome it is hearing his constant teases, sex jokes and blood jokes.

Every once in a while the game tries to mix things up by adding some 2D platforming sections, but these are hampered by poor physics.

I'm not sure what to rate this game, it certainly isn't what I'd call good, but it is enjoyably so, I guess it should be rated below average.

Trivia: The game comes with the arcade version of the original Splatterhouse as well Splatterhouse 2 and 3, that alone makes it worth a purchase if you ask me.

Pros:
- Blood, guts and nudity reminiscent of 80's horror B-movies
- The mask is voiced by freaking Jim Cummings

Cons:
- Repetitive, questionable hit detection, repetitive, poor enemy variety, repetitive
- 2D platforming sections feel wonky and glitchy due to poor physics, oh and have I mentioned that the game is repetitive?

Final Score: D

Flashy boxart aside there is absolutely nothing interesting about its package... well I guess there's the ad for some Splatterhouse themed Globe sneakers, that's pretty unique if nothing else.

Packaging Score: C






Scariness Rating:

The game may be extremely bloody and feature some interesting creature designs, but in the end, said creatures are the ones getting punched and having their sphincters forcibly removed, not me. So it's not particularly scary, I rate it two screaming Marilyn Monroe's out of a possible five.









Halloween Feel:

If you're the sort of person that fires up old 80's slasher flicks during Halloween then this is the game for you, the talking mask is the sort of guy Freddy Krueger would love to have a beer with. I rate it three and a half Jack´o Lanterns.

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Splatterhouse

Developer: BottleRocket/Namco Bandai
Publisher:  Namco Bandai

After spending a short time in development hell, this ill-conceived reboot of the Splatterhouse franchise was launched with little to no fanfare and there's a good reason for that: The gameplay is terrible.

You'll spend most of the game fighting the same enemies and using the same moves over and over and the hit detection is just awful... and yet this game became one my guilty pleasures, it's kind of like watching a low budget 80's horror movie, the story may be pointless, dialog bawdy and cheesy but there's blood and guts everywhere and you get to see some pretty gruesome stuff like having your arm ripped off and then picking it up, and beating your foes into submission with it, or how about the part where you ram your arm inside a giant four-legged beast's anus and pull out it's sphincter from the inside?

This game is pure schlock and it knows it, making it an enjoyably bad game, hell, it even goes as far as motivating you to hunt down hidden nude photos of your girlfriend, Troma would be proud.

The characters and voice acting are all pretty standard stuff with one HUGE exception: The Mask, voiced by Jim Cummings of Winnie the Pooh and The Lion King fame and I can't tell you how awesome it is hearing his constant teases, sex jokes and blood jokes.

Every once in a while the game tries to mix things up by adding some 2D platforming sections, but these are hampered by poor physics.

I'm not sure what to rate this game, it certainly isn't what I'd call good, but it is enjoyably so, I guess it should be rated below average.

Trivia: The game comes with the arcade version of the original Splatterhouse as well Splatterhouse 2 and 3, that alone makes it worth a purchase if you ask me.

Pros:
- Blood, guts and nudity reminiscent of 80's horror B-movies
- The mask is voiced by freaking Jim Cummings

Cons:
- Repetitive, questionable hit detection, repetitive, poor enemy variety, repetitive
- 2D platforming sections feel wonky and glitchy due to poor physics, oh and have I mentioned that the game is repetitive?

Final Score: D

Flashy boxart aside there is absolutely nothing interesting about its package... well I guess there's the ad for some Splatterhouse themed Globe sneakers, that's pretty unique if nothing else.

Packaging Score: C

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